When you want to take a break from the city, Panama’s subtropical latitude and climate mean a wealth of idyllic destinations are within easy reach of the capital. Panama‘s capital city has a lot of things to do but is also an excellent starting point for day tours into the surroundings of Panama City, Panama. From “Monkey Island” to paradise beaches, here are some of the best Panama day trips.

The Best Day Tours from Panama City, Panama

Half- and Full-Day Panama Day Trips

1. PANAMA CITY TOUR 

Surely, Panama City’s number 1 day tour is the Panama City Tour.

Central America’s most attractive capital is calling you. Panama City was founded in 1519, and its captivating backdrop of skyscrapers, noble mansions, and green hills will surely fascinate you. This Panama City day tour often starts with a visit to the ruins of Panama Viejo, “Old Panama”, (closed on Mondays) which dates back to the 16th century.

Later, a walking tour through the historic old town Casco Antiguo awaits you. During the tour, you will see many unique colonial buildings. Some are still largely original, while others have been nicely and colorfully restored. The historic Casco Antiguo is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has become the center of art, design, and cultural development. Many new bars, rooftop terraces, restaurants, and boutique hotels have opened here.

But no visit to Panama would be complete without a visit to the Panama Canal. At the Miraflores Visitor Center, you will gain a first insight into the inner workings and dimensions of the famous Panama Canal. The canal locks’ observatory offers a unique view of the locks and the ships passing through on their way to the Pacific or Atlantic.

The Panama Canal is one of the world’s most important waterways. Each year, around 14,000 ships transit, which is about six percent of the world’s trade. In its museum, you will learn many interesting facts about the Canal.

Duration: about 5 hrs

2. LOCAL LIFE PANAMA CITY TOUR

Get to know the different faces of Panama City firsthand. From modern, cosmopolitan Panama with its impressive skyline to ancient ruins, the historical old town, and local street life in the neighborhood of El Chorrillo.

Panama City was founded in 1519, and its captivating backdrop of skyscrapers, noble mansions, and green hills will surely fascinate you. This Panama City day tour often starts with a visit to the ruins of Panama Viejo, “Old Panama”, (closed on Mondays) which dates back to the 16th century.

Later, a walking tour through the historic old town Casco Antiguo awaits you. During the tour, you will see many unique colonial buildings. Some are still largely original, while others have been nicely and colorfully restored. The historic Casco Antiguo is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has become the center of art, design, and cultural development. Many new bars, rooftop terraces, restaurants, and boutique hotels have opened here.

But no visit to Panama would be complete without a visit to the Panama Canal. At the Miraflores Visitor Center, you will gain a first insight into the inner workings and dimensions of the famous Panama Canal. The canal locks’ observatory offers a unique view of the locks and the ships passing through on their way to the Pacific or Atlantic.

The Panama Canal is one of the world’s most important waterways. Each year, around 14,000 ships transit, which is about six percent of the world’s trade. In its museum, you will learn many interesting facts about the Canal.

The final leg of your tour takes place in El Chorrillo (this part can also be booked as its own tour).

Back in 1989, this was where the US invasion of Panama took place. Even today, you can still see traces of this military operation. A local guide will show you the many facets of this formerly dangerous district and introduce you to the locals. Get to know real life beyond the newly refurbished Casco Antiguo, including the living conditions and culture of the people of El Chorrillo.

The tour takes you past Plaza Amador, where locals watch football and cheer on their favorite teams. Some Panamanian national team players began their football careers in El Chorrillo. In Parque de Los Aburridos (Park of the Bored), you can see the locals playing dominoes. How about joining in? You will also visit one of the last traditional hat makers in Central America. 

By joining this tour, you support the charity project LocalinPTYKIDS, which organizes English lessons, yoga, and other educational programs for underprivileged children in El Chorrillo.

Duration: about 8 hours (includes a local lunch and a drink)

3. E-BIKE PANAMA CITY TOUR

Today you will experience a special Panama City Tour. Your tour starts with a transfer to the Amador Causeway, a long, narrow man-made island extending to the southernmost point of Panama City. It is also the start or end of the Panama Canal, so you will likely see huge container ships waiting in line to pass through the Canal. From there, you have a magnificent view of the skyline.

Then continue to the historic old town, Casco Antiguo, also called Casco Viejo, where you will see some of the oldest architecture and buildings in this modern city. During your ride, you will see many unique colonial buildings, some of which are still largely original, and others are nicely and colorfully restored.

The historic Casco Antiguo is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has become a center of art, design, and cultural development. Many new cafes, bars with rooftop terraces, restaurants, and hotels have opened here.

Later, you cycle past the Mercado de Mariscos, the local fish market, and the skyscrapers along the Cinta Costera toward Paitilla. On the way, you stop at the PANAMA sign on the Cinta Costera coastal road and have the chance to take some great vacation photos. The ride back takes you along Cinta Costera 3, which circles the old town, where you can once again enjoy a fantastic view of the city skyline. Refreshments will be provided.

After this exciting tour, the driver will take you back to your hotel.

Duration: about 4 hrs

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The Best Panama Day Trips, from Panama City, Panama

4. METROPOLITAN NATURAL PARK

This is a nice half-day tour from Panama City.

Right in the heart of Panama City sits a 573-acre park known as Metropolitan Natural Park. This nature sanctuary in the midst of a metropolis is the city’s only wildlife preserve and the only tropical forest that serves as a public recreational park in a metropolitan area. Despite its proximity to Panama City, the park is home to 227 bird species, 45 mammals, 36 kinds of snakes, and 14 kinds of amphibians. It also has about 284 plant species, including trees that reach 100 to 115 feet high.

To get the most out of your visit, consider taking a guided half-day tour from Panama City to learn about the flora and fauna along the way. If you’re up for a hike, you can choose from 5 trails, each offering something different. The Mono Titi Road, for example, will take you to the top of Cerro Cedro for impressive views of Panama City. After your hike, consider stopping by the park’s butterfly house, too.

Duration: about 4 hrs

If you want to venture out on your own, the park is just a few minutes from downtown Panama City and can be reached by car or taxi.

5. PARTIAL OR COMPLETE CROSSING OF THE PANAMA CANAL (BY BOAT)

PARTIAL TRANSIT OF THE PANAMA CANAL

Without a doubt, one of the best Panama day trips is a boat ride on the famous Panama Canal.

Experience one of the most impressive engineering masterpieces in human history from up close: the Panama Canal! On the partial crossing from Gamboa to Panama City (Southbound), you’ll learn about the fascinating Canal, often considered the 8th wonder of the world. The Panama Canal lets ships travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean via a 48-mile shipping route, saving almost 10,000 miles around the South American continent. 

In the morning, you will be picked up at your hotel and brought to the port. There, you board a tourist boat and begin your about 4-hour partial crossing of the Panama Canal. During this time, you will pass the Miraflores Locks, the Miraflores Lake, the Pedro Miguel Locks, and the Gaillard Cut (the narrowest part of the Canal) up to Gatun Lake.

Before reaching the Pedro Miguel Locks at the southern end of the Cut, you can view the Centennial Bridge, which crosses the Canal. Next, the Pacific Queen will enter the Pedro Miguel Locks, one of the two sets of locks on the Pacific side, where the vessel is lowered 9 meters in one step. You will then enter Miraflores Lake, a small artificial body of fresh water that separates Pedro Miguel from Miraflores Locks, the final set of locks before reaching the Pacific Ocean. At Miraflores Locks, the vessel is lowered 60 feet in two distinct steps.

Once in the Pacific Ocean, the vessel will sail to Flamenco Marina, where passengers disembark. On the way to Flamenco, you will pass under the Bridge of the Americas, and later, you can admire the Bay of Panama and Panama City’s splendid skyline.

The partial transit of the Panama Canal is currently offered most Saturdays and Sundays and can be Northbound or Southbound. Duration of the entire tour: about 7 hrs

COMPLETE TRANSIT OF THE PANAMA CANAL

Complete transits are always northbound. You will pass the Miraflores Locks, the Miraflores Lake, the Pedro Miguel Locks, and the narrowest part of the Canal, the Gaillard Cut. But instead of getting off in Gamboa, on your Panama Canal full transit tour, you will enjoy a trip through Gatun Lake, formed by the Gatun Dam across the Chagres River.

As you transit through Gatun Lake, you will pass the Smithsonian Research Station at Barro Colorado. You will also experience the Gatun Locks, which are the only set of locks in the Atlantic sector. At the Gatun Locks, the vessel will be lowered a total of 26 meters in three distinct chambers. Upon arriving at Colon, you will disembark at Colon 2000, where transportation back to Panama City will be provided.

The complete crossing of the Panama Canal is only offered once or twice a month (on a Saturday) and takes the whole day. Dates are on request. Duration of the entire tour: about 12 hrs

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The exact departure time is announced only 24 hours before. Therefore, we strongly advise you not to schedule your arrival, departure, and onward journey on this day.

The excursion includes return transfers from your Panama City hotel, an English-speaking guide on board, lunch, and soft drinks.

Panama Marine Adventures is the most reliable company to offer Panama Canal transits.

6. HIKING THE CAMINO DE CRUCES TRAIL

If you want to be active and learn more about Panama’s history at the same time, then check out this day tour from Panama City.

The Camino de Cruces, a stone road dating back to 1530, connected the Caribbean with the Pacific during the Spanish colonial period, centuries before the trans-isthmus railway or the Panama Canal. Slaves built it so the Spanish could transport gold and silver from the Pacific to the Caribbean. You can still see the paved road at many points along the way.

Today, the Camino de Cruces National Park, less than 10 miles north of the capital, serves as a biological corridor between Soberanía National Park to the north and Metropolitano Park to the south. The park includes tropical forests, home to a wide array of jungle wildlife, as well as lakes and lagoons, wetlands, rivers, and waterfalls. Take a walk along the park’s trails to spot titi monkeys, coatis, two- and three-toed sloths, feathered friends galore, and even two Panama Canal locks.

Our hike starts in Gamboa, where we experience a short boat ride to the starting point, “Venta de Cruces”, a once important stopover on the Cruces Trail. We will hike a 10 km (just over 6 miles) section of the Camino de Cruces, stopping repeatedly to take photos and observe flora and fauna.

Duration: about 8 hrs

Note: Depending on the season, the trail is either very dry with many fallen leaves or extremely muddy and slippery during the rainy season.

7. HIKING SOBERANIA NATIONAL PARK & BOAT TOUR GATUN LAKE

This impressive day trip from Panama City, Panama, is for all active nature and jungle lovers. 

The tour starts in the morning, with a drive from your hotel to the nearby Soberanía National Park. Here, an about 1- to 2-hour-long hike through the jungle awaits you. You´ll learn about the park’s rich tropical flora and, with a bit of luck, catch a glimpse of different animal species, such as birds and monkeys.

Afterward, you will head to the port of Gamboa. There, you will enjoy a 2 ½ -hour boat ride on Lake Gatún. During the trip, you’ll learn about the lake’s biodiversity (including monkeys, crocodiles, turtles, sloths, and diverse birds…) and come close to other boats on their way across the Panama Canal. After a visit to “Monkey Island”, you will head back to the city.

Duration: about 8 hrs

8. VISIT AN INDIGENOUS EMBERA VILLAGE

This is definitely one of our favorite day tours from Panama City. Travel back in time! You will leave the modern city and head northeast to Chagres National Park. Here, at the banks of Alajuela Lake, you will board small dugout canoes that will take you up the Rio Chagres and along a fascinating jungle backdrop.

In the Emberá village, you will gain authentic insights into a culture that has inhabited this land for over a millennium, long before Europeans discovered the new continent. The original traditions and their way of life will take you back centuries. You will learn interesting facts about the culture and enjoy a beautiful folklore show.

If you like feeling refreshed, why not take a jump into the cool river? At lunchtime, you will be served a simple, typical lunch, mostly consisting of fish and patacones (fried plantains), before heading back to modern Panama City.

This tour is not recommended for people with back problems. 

Duration: about 7 hrs

9. HISTORIC PORTOBELO AND CARIBBEAN BEACHES

In northern Panama, on the beautiful blue shores of the Caribbean, you will find a small town known as Portobelo. Today, quaint fishing boats sway to the rhythm of the sea, as lush vegetation blends with the blue of the Caribbean behind them. A closer look reveals the remains of colonial Spanish forts and the last relics of this town’s legacy as the largest colonial Spanish port in Central America, and the reason it has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

When Columbus arrived at this sparkling bay in 1502, he was said to have exclaimed “Porto Bello,” and it’s easy to see why. By 1597, the beautiful bay of Portobelo had become the main crossroads for merchandise between Europe and the Americas. Here, gold from Peru was shipped to Spain, while treasures from the east made their way to Panama City, where trade markets were said to last 40 days at a time.

Your excursion starts with a drive from Panama City to the port of Portobelo on the Caribbean coast. After a short sightseeing tour, a simple fishing boat (no roof) takes you to Venas Azules, located in the Portobelo National Park in Colón. These are beautiful channels with crystal-clear, turquoise waters surrounded by mangroves. Later, we head to the beautiful and unspoiled beach of Playa Blanca.

Enjoy a lovely white-sand beach in a tranquil cove surrounded by dense wilderness. A colorful reef sits in the center of the cove near the beach, and a second reef lies in deeper waters about 100m offshore.

For lunch, head to Playa Escondido, where you can enjoy a typical Caribbean lunch with rice and coconut milk.

Duration: about 11 hrs

Info: From January to April, expect higher waves due to the strong north winds.

10. GUNA YALA (SAN BLAS ISLANDS) DAY TOUR

If you don’t have time for an overnight visit to the San Blas Islands or don’t mind basic accommodation, consider a day tour from Panama City, Panama, to the San Blas Islands (Guna Yala).

The island chain includes hundreds of small, palm-fringed islands. This pristine habitat is inhabited by the indigenous Guna people and should be included in any visit to Panama. We’ll capture the essence of San Blas on this day tour by showing you the archipelago’s most popular sites.

The San Blas Islands (original name Guna Yala) are home to some of the world’s most ravishing islands, but it’s the sea that truly makes them shine. Luminous aquamarine waters with crystal clarity lap these dazzling white shores in the Caribbean Sea of Panamá.
This 365-island archipelago provides the perfect mix of postcard beauty and unique cultural exploration.

In the afternoon, you will return to the capital, where you will be transferred back to the hotel. 

Note: This day tour is very long and strenuous. You usually leave Panama City around 5.30 am and don’t return until about 6 or 7 pm. The drive in shared jeeps is partly on windy, twisty roads, so be prepared if you get motion-sick.

Duration: about 13 hrs 

11. ALTOS DE CAMPANA NATIONAL PARK AND PINEAPPLE FARM

In the morning, you will be picked up from your hotel and head west on the famous Panamericana, crossing the Puente de Las Américas over the Panama Canal.

Along the way, stop at Quesos Chela, a small shop that’s almost an “institution” among the Panameños. It is famous not only for its cheese, but also for its delicious empanadas, chichas (a type of juice made from fresh fruits), and chicheme (a non-alcoholic drink made from milk, corn, cinnamon, and vanilla). A tasting here is a must.

Later, you will reach Panama’s oldest national park, Altos de Campana. Founded in 1966, the park offers multiple viewpoints and diverse birdlife. A total of 267 bird species live here, along with 39 mammal species, including possums, sloths, monkeys, and the golden frog, which is threatened with extinction. We visit the Caja de Agua viewpoint for breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and the Pacific Ocean, then take a short hike.

On the way back to Panama City, we’ll visit a pineapple farm. The farm also exports its fruit. You will learn all about this tropical fruit, from planting your own pineapple plant to packaging. Finally, you’ll taste the exotic fruit.

In the late afternoon, your Panama day tour ends at the hotel.

Duration: about 9 hrs 

This tour is only available for groups!

12. ANTON VALLEY TOUR

Visit the largest inhabited volcanic crater on Earth in the mountains of Coclé province on a day tour from Panama City, Panama. Here lies the tranquil town of El Valle de Antón. Once a crater, it was later inhabited by the Indians of the surrounding mountains.

After picking you up at your hotel, a two-hour drive from the capital to El Valle first takes you along the famous Pan-American Highway before going up into the mountains to El Valle. El Valle is a small mountain village with a very pleasant climate and unique birdlife.

Once there, you can learn more about the area on short hikes. You can visit El Macho Waterfall, La Piedra Pintada, a rock wall with pre-Columbian stone carvings, Butterfly Haven, a butterfly farm, or the square trees, all within a short, interesting 45-minute walk.

Every Sunday, you can visit the famous market in El Valle. Here, you can admire and buy local produce such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, soap stones, ceramic items, handcrafted wooden baskets, wood furniture, and more. You can also find indigenous Guna vendors selling their colorful handicrafts (molas). On other days, the market also takes place, but it is much smaller.

Duration: about 9 hrs

13. VISIT THE FLOWER ISLAND OF TABOGA

Take a relaxing break from the city with this Panama day trip to Isla Taboga!

After pickup at your hotel and transfer to the port, a typical ferry will take you to the small island of Taboga. Only an hour’s boat ride separates the lively capital, Panama City, from the island’s pleasant tranquility. The boat trip alone is worth it, offering a unique view of the Puente de las Américas bridge and Panama City’s impressive skyline.

After you arrive on Taboga Island, you have the day at leisure. The 1500 islanders rightly describe their home, where cars or mopeds are almost unknown, as a flower island: oleanders, bougainvilleas, and hibiscus adorn the narrow, winding streets of the village. Here, where Pizarro decided to conquer Peru and the artist Paul Gauguin took a break, you can also find one of the oldest churches in the Western Hemisphere.

On weekends, the island is a popular destination for the Panameños; during the week, it is a paradise for peace seekers. Take advantage of the day to walk through the village, refresh yourself in the cool waters of the two beaches, and enjoy fresh fish with patacones (fried plantains). If you like to keep fit, hike up the Cerro de la Cruz and enjoy a magnificent view of the Panama City skyline from afar.

In the afternoon, you will return to the capital, where you will be transferred back to the hotel.

Duration: about 8 hrs (can be shortened)

14. CATAMARAN DAY TOUR TO ISLA TABOGA

This is the perfect way to have an extraordinary day tour from Panama City, Panama.

Relax and discover the art of sailing on board the biggest open boat in the city while you sunbathe, lie down, and enjoy the big deck with huge nets and speakers. The catamaran has shaded areas for those who need a break from the sun.

Enjoy the breathtaking views of the Panama City skyline, Cinta Costera, and ships waiting to cross the Panama Canal, until you reach the Island of Taboga on a 45-minute ride. During this time, light snacks will be served.

After reaching Taboga, you sail to the back side of the island to an amazing bay with beautiful natural views, where you can jump off the boat and take your first swim! The catamaran also has stairs with direct access to the water.

Climb back into the boat to enjoy a cold beer while you sail to the town side. Here you can visit the small village of Taboga. When you return, lunch will be served on board the catamaran, and later you will sail back to port. If the wind is favorable, the sails will be opened, and the party continues!

This excursion includes return transfers from your hotel, snacks, lunch, an open bar, and onboard entertainment/music.

Duration: about 7 hrs

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 Conclusion:

The constantly evolving Panama City is one of the most culturally diverse and thrilling places in Central America, thanks to its location straddling two continents and Panama’s turbulent history as Latin America’s financial hub.

The contrast between the gorgeous colonial old city and the glittering metropolis that has sprouted up in the center makes it a fascinating place to explore.

Contact us today to plan your family vacation, romantic getaway, or honeymoon to Panama. We‘ll create a unique itinerary that combines your favorite day tour from Panama City and many of the best things to do in Panama with some of the country’s beautiful lodges.

We’d love to plan a unique, once-in-a-lifetime vacation for you. Ask us for a free quote, and you could be on your way very soon.

Check out our Sample Tours in Panama 

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